2.

About Duong Trung Quocs perspective: (1000)

a. CS is not a strange term in Vietnam:
- What is CS?
- How many types of CSOs are there in Vietnam?
- the popularity of CS term in Vietnam
b. CS existence is objective.
- Ti sao n li l nhu cu khch quan ca x hi (write about CSs role in
society)

In recent time, there has been a exponential increase in the size, scope, and
capacity of civil society around the word over the past decade, supported by the
process of globalization and the increase of democratic governance,
telecommunications, and economic integration. According to the Yearbook of
International Organizations, the number of international NGOs was reported to
have risen from 6,000 in 1990 to more than 50,000 in 2006. In addition, civil
Society Organizations (CSOs) have also become important players in global
development assistance, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) evaluating that, as of 2006, CSOs supplied well over
US$15 billion in international support. Nowadays in Vietnam, ideas of civil
society and its role among state agencies, scholars and CSOs are varied. These
concepts are ocasionally controversial, leading to problems in the exercises of
CSOs and the demand for the creation of a legal framwork for these
organizations. In a conference held by iSEE on September, 21st, 2013,
historian Duong Trung Quoc said that civil society was a familiar term to
Vietnam. The existence of civil society is objective, therefore the key thing is to
ultilize its strength and positivity for the countrys own development. The
purpose of this essay would be to examine historian Duong Trung Quocs
statement and present the challenges and opportunities to the development of
civil society.
First and foremost, it is essential to analyze historian Duong Trung Quocs
statement. According to him, civil society was a familiar term to Vietnam. By
WHO definition, Civil society is regarded as a social area separate from both
the state and the market. The increasingly accepted understanding of the term
civil society organizations (CSOs) is that of non-state, not-for-profit, voluntary

organizations shaped by people in that social sphere. This term is used to

describe a broad range of organizations, networks, associations, groups and
movements that do not depend on government and that occasionally unite to
reach their shared interests through joint action. In traditional way, civil society
consists of all organizations that fill the 'social gap' between the family and the
state, except from political parties and firms. Some terms of civil society also
include exact businesses, for example the media, private schools, and for-profit
associations, whereas others exclude them.
By definition, all civic groups like that are nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs), in that they are organizations not connected with government.
However, in reality, the term NGOs is used to describe non-profit making,
non-violent organizations, which aim to affect the policy of governments and
international organizations and/or to improve government services (a case in
points is health or education). They normally have a official structure, provide
people with services other than their members, and are, in most cases, arranged
with national government. NGOs differ significantly in their size, scope of
activity and goals. They might work within the country, or internationally, for
example Oxfam, Save the Children and Mdecins Sans Frontires (all of which
are ocasionally regarded as international NGOs), or they might be small
community-based organizations (CBOs) that target to manage, arrange or
authorize their stakeholders, especially in a local area. Therefore, there are
some drawbacks of transparency, accountability, and rights of representation
around NGOs, particularly international ones.
Besides, A definition of civil society developed by a number of leading
research centers has been accepted by the World Bank as the following: the
term civil society to refer to the wide array of non-governmental and not-forprofit organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests
and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political,
scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations. Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs) therefore refer to a wide of array of organizations: community groups,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labor unions, indigenous groups,
charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations,
and foundations. However, in Vietnam there are also the cases of
organizations that are closely linked to the state and the Party for example mass
organizations, which perform activities of civil society, hence it isnt really
helpful to emphasize on independent/alternative voice of the civil society from
government. In Vietnam the phrase civil society has not have a positive
meaning and until recently was regarded a sensitive term, which to say people
could not talk about it in a free way. Instead, civil society is often judged in a
shallow meaning as NGOs. In spite of terminology, popular organizations are

widespread and diverse in Vietnam. These are 300 operating nation-wide, over
2,500 are at the level and ten of thousands exist at lower levels (Norlund,
2007). From the formation of the Vietnam Communist Party until the
regulations on science and technology organizations in 1992, civil society in
Vietnam included the mass organizations which were closely linked to the state
and Party.
In sum, civil society has the following charateristic: voluntary, self-managed,
not-for-profit or non-profit.
There are seven main types of civil society organizations in Vietnam. First are
mass organizations (socio-political organizations). They are the officially
sanctioned peoples organizations and are closely connected to the Party and
State. They are ot included from Decree 88/45 because they have special
condition as part of the state infrastructure. The followings are the mass
organizations: the Vietnam Womens Union, Vietnam General Confederation of
Labour (Trade Union), the Veterans Association, Farmers/Peasants Association,
the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union and the Fatherland Front. Second is umbrella
organizations (the Union). Dual state management of organizations are
regulated in both Decree 81 and Decree 88/45. New organizations have to
register with the Ministry of Home Affairs and with a suitable sector agency. In
many cases, organization has to register under one of the officail government
umbrella organizations such as VUSTA, the Vietnam Writers and Artists
Association (VWAA), vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO),
Vietnam Red Cross, Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, ect. Third is Science and
technology organizations (also Decree 81 organizations) according to the
introduction of Decree 81 in 2002, formal approval of a range of organizations
that were already working was allowed. The trem science and technology
organiztions consisits of a wide range of activities and types of organizations,
even many that are called NGOs. Fourth is associations (known as Decree 88
organizations). This Decree let the formation of voluntary citizens associations
work. Fifth is informal and other community groups. Besides all the groups
mentioned above, there are many informal community groups, clubs and
organizations that work without legal recognition. Some cases in point are
neighbourhood associations, water user groups, clan groups, student groups and
so on. Sixth are networks. Actually, neworks of NGOs or civil society
organizations are not included in legislation, however, they still exist. Seventh
are International Non-Government Oganizations (INGOs). Since the 1970s,
they have been operating in Vietnam but especially since Doi Moi and the
economys opening in 1986. Nowadays approximatetly 870 INGOs are
operating and they have implemented 3000 projects in 63 cities and cities
(PACCOM, 2010)

Nowadays, civil society is a phrase that is coming up more and more amongst
those concerned with the changing shape of modern society. It starts to gain
more popularity due to the demand for a civil society. Politicians discuss about
the needs of a civil society; in fact next to the state and the market, advisors to
the US Government have recommended that it is 'the final third way' of lagally
control a society. In his formal introduction speech US President George W
Bush claimed that: 'A civil society demands from each of us good will and
respect, fair dealing and forgiveness.' Vietnam is also in the case knowing that
it has to have a civil society as a feature of achieving peace and prosperity as
the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan explained: 'The United Nations once
dealt only with Governments. By now we know that peace and prosperity
cannot be achieved without partnerships involving Governments, international
organisations, the business community and civil society. In today's world, we
depend on each other.'
The existence of civil society is objective that it is the apparent result of
societys development. Usually, a countrys government takes the respnsibility
of the basics, such as health care, defense and education. However, it doesnt
provide citizens with a way to organize themselves to do what is essential to
their life or convey their perspectives. That is the reason for the appearance of
civil society. It is the groups in which people start to support the things they
believe in publicly and to deal with problems in their communities. As a result,
societies that do not permit people to come together to fix problems or to track
their governments will become less effective, less democratic and less resilient
than those that do.
In recent time, civil society plays important roles in Vietnams society.
According to a recent report conducted by the UK Departmentr for
International Development (DFID) and the Embassy of Finland, Forms of
Engagement between State Agencies and Civil SocietyOrganizations in
vietnam, they are examined in four forms of engagement: delivering services,
channelling citizens voices to authorities, monitoring officials and holding
them accountable and being involved in policy and law making. Initially, it
helps to supply necessary services that are expected to be supplied by the
authority for instance health care, establish schools or orphanages. In addition,
it publicly support specific groups of people, express the opinions of people.
Furthermore, civil society track the delivery of government services in areas
such as health, education, ect. and report the way specific policies are applied
on the ground or thier effect on specific groups of people. Finally, it connects
government comittees to debate to amend the laws as well as new policy
developmet, take part in community cusultation.

Ref
WHO, civil society
http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story006/en/
BBC, What Is Civil Society?, July 05, 2001
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/highlights/010705_civil.shtml
Michael Kott, Why do we need civil society?, February 14, 2013
http://degrees.fhi360.org/2013/02/why-effective-civil-society-is-like-a-goodschool/